Finishing the Hat
"Finishing the Hat" is the 180th episode of Desperate Housewives, as well as its 8th season finale and series finale. Summary The lives of the Wisteria Lane residents are to be forever changed in the emotional series finale, as Renee's wedding approaches, and Gabrielle receives a big promotion that prompts her to be more neglectful towards Carlos, thus mirroring the early years of their marriage - with reversed roles. Lynette is too offered a big job opportunity herself when old friend Katherine Mayfair returns from France - an opportunity that could end Lynette's chances of reconciling with Tom. Meanwhile, Julie goes into labor at the most inopportune time, Bree tries to distance herself from Trip Weston, and Mrs. McCluskey prepares to move to a different neighborhood in the great beyond. Plot 'Previously on ''Desperate Housewives *Lee asks Susan if she's told her friends she's moving yet; she says "Not yet", and Lee tells her he got an offer on her house. ("Give Me the Blame") *Gabrielle drops Juanita and Celia over at Carlos' office, and they both argue that they can't take the girls to school because they have to work. ("Lost My Power") *Bree and Renee go over some of the former's wedding cakes, and Renee tells Bree it isn't big enough. Bree suggests adding another tier to it; Renee says "Make it two." ("Any Moment") *Trip shows up at Bree's victory party to apologize, but she tells him he used her and she doesn't want him in her house. ("Give Me the Blame") *Tom and Lynette make out passionately in the middle of the street, at night. ("Give Me the Blame") 'Teaser A flashback begins. The time is 1990 (presumably), and the place is Wisteria Lane. On a beautiful, typically sunny day, a Statewide moving van parks in front of 4352 Wisteria Lane. Martha Huber, wearing her well known multi-colored squared shirt, gets out of her house. Mary Alice Young gets out of the moving van, looking excited. Martha rushes over to her and gives her a big welcome to the neighborhood. She introduces herself and extends her hand to Mary Alice, who shakes it and introduces herself as well. "So,...", Martha says, "you got a husband? Mine's dead." The bluntness and the rapidity with which the phrase was uttered surprises and confuses Mary Alice, who simply says "Oh, I'm sorry." "Me too.", says Martha, before adding, "In theory." Mary Alice chuckles and tells her she has a husband and a son, who are in a second van and will be there soon. Martha notices one of the movers bringing in a patio chair, and comments that she used to have a chair just like that, but it kept breaking so she threw it away. "I hate cheap furniture.", she says. A dazed Mary Alice tries to excuse herself, saying that she should go help the movers, and tells Martha it was nice to meet her. Mary Alice enters her property and Mrs. Huber follows her, saying she hardly knows anything about her. Mary Alice is clearly slightly annoyed, and when Martha asks her where she and her family are from, she is caught off-guard. She dismissively tells her "Up North.", but Martha stops her, claiming that that doesn't tell her anything. Mary Alice tells her it's a small town and she wouldn't know it, to which Huber responds: "Try me." Mary Alice turns to her and asks why she needs to know that, and Martha wonders why she doesn't want to tell her. Mary Alice says, "Well, it's no big deal, it's just..."... and stops, unable to respond. Martha looks as though she's had an epiphany, and tells Mary Alice that they can have a nice, long chat after she has settled in. She then leaves, with a look of suspicion on her face. Martha and Mary Alice both head to her respective homes. In a distant future, many years later, in 2004, Mary Alice is seen picking up her revolver. A sequence of several flashbacks of notable moments of the series is shown, intertwined with shots of Mary Alice bringing the gun up to her head. We see Lynette being hit in the face with spoonfuls of her child's baby formula ("Who's That Woman?"), Gabrielle mowing her lawn in an evening gown ("Pilot"), Susan walking around the front lawn of her house, completely naked and using a potted plant to cover herself ("Pretty Little Picture"), Bree opening her fur coat before Rex at his motel room, revealing nothing but her sexy red underwear underneath ("Running to Stand Still"), and Susan's kitchen being blown up in an explosion before her and Gaby's eyes ("Fear No More"). Afterwards, after we see Mary Alice bringing the gun higher up, we are shown Susan running after Mike in her mother's wedding dress, crying ("I Wish I Could Forget You"), Bree loading up her rifle ("That's Good, That's Bad"), a handcuffed Gabrielle being forced into a police car by two officers as Carlos watches from their front porch ("Like It Was"), Lynette removing her wig to reveal her bald head (from chemo) to Muriel ("Now You Know"), and Susan engaging in a catfight with Gaby ("Kids Ain't Like Everybody Else"). Mary Alice finally holds up the gun to her head, with a look of desperation shown in a single eye, and the final flashbacks show us Renee Perry arriving on the lane, Bree telling Orson over the phone that she's found a new project (remodeling the house) ("Remember Paul?"), Susan cleaning her apartment in a skimpy nightgown ("Truly Content"), Gabrielle being attacked by her evil stepfather ("Come on Over for Dinner"), the women carrying the wrapped up body in the woods ("Secrets That I Never Want to Know"), Tom and Lynette drinking beer silently ("What's to Discuss, Old Friend?"), and Susan holding up a red rose before the attendees at Mike's funeral ("Women and Death"). Mary Alice pulls the trigger ("Pilot") and a gunshot is heard. 'Act I' In the present time, one beautiful morning, Susan is seen telling her three best friends, Bree, Gabrielle and Lynette, that she will soon be moving away. The ladies are less than happy to hear this news, and then a pair of feet wearing leopard-patterned high-heeled shoes is seen making their way near them. The feet stop, and Lynette's attention is turned to the person as she pats Susan. She says "Oh, my God..." and all the ladies turn their heads with surprise. The feet belong to Katherine Mayfair, who has just arrived on the street, wearing a typical stunning red outfit. Katherine, smiling, removes her sunglasses in style, and says, "Hello, ladies. Did you miss me?". Shortly afterwards, the five women are all sitting in Gaby's front porch, as Katherine is telling her story: three months after moving to France, she and Robin broke up. The ladies give her their sympathies, as Lynette points out that a long-distance move can be hard on a relationship. Katherine says "That, and I decided I just wasn't into women anymore. Although in Paris, it's hard to tell the difference: the women don't shave and the men carry purses." Katherine smiles and the women chuckle. Susan asks what team she is playing for now, to which Katherine replies that she is out of the game, as she's decided to channel her sexual frustration into starting her own business, a line of frozen French pastries. She turns to Bree and asks if she remembers how her ''croissants were always the best on the lane, and Bree gives her a passive-agressive smile and says she remembers Katherine thinking that. Katherine smiles back, and Lynette comments that basically she sells microwavable French food... to the French. Katherine jokes that as they got lazier and fatter she got thinner and richer. And now her accountant has her buying châteaux just to do something with her money. Katherine lets out a conceited laugh, and Gabrielle fakes a like-wise laughter and asks why she is there, other than to rub her success in their faces. Katherine tells them she has a business proposition... for Lynette. Lynette's attention is turned to her. Over at her place, Renee Perry is having her wedding dress measured for fitting by Jean, a local seamstress. Renee asks her to make the dress tighter, and Jean tells her if she does that, Renee won't be able to breathe. Renee tells her she once gave herself salmonella in order to lose 10 pounds before prom, so having a tighter dress isn't an issue. "Beauty is suffering", as Renee puts it. Ben then shows up at her house, and Renee, caught off-guard, tries to conceal herself behind Jean. She asks him what he is doing there, and reminds him that he can't see her before the wedding, as it's bad luck. Ben turns his back to her, smiling, and says he picked up the program for the wedding from the printer. Renee snaps her fingers at Jean to get her to retrieve the program, which she does, and resumes tightening her dress. Renee takes one look at the program and is frustrated right off the bat, because the coloring is ivory, and she told him to get beige. "Are you color-blind? You do know I'm black, right?". Ben starts telling her she seems a little... less angelic than usual. Renee tells him she is busting her ass to give him the happiest day of his life, so they should just ditch the sarcasm. Ben says, "You know what, it is bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding. I just realized why." This said, Ben leaves, and Renee tells Jean yet again, as she doesn't care if she can breathe, to which Jean replies, "At this point, neither do I." Carlos is seen in his kitchen, packing up his lunch, when Gabrielle comes in with the tray of used dishwear. He asks what was going on outside, and Gaby tells him Katherine came back for a visit, but tells him she's no longer a lesbian. Carlos seems disappointed. He then tells her that, while she was out dishing with her friends, their gardener quit. "He wouldn't name names, but apparently, one of us is a little too hard to please." Gabrielle tells her husband he should 'work on that', and then asks if he's gonna get a new one. Carlos asks "When?"; he adds that he has a job too. Gabrielle jokes that he helps the poor and downtrodden, a group with a very flexible schedule. Her phone starts ringing, and before she picks it up she tells him that she's working crazy hours, so house stuff is now up to him. She then tells him, as she picks up the cell phone, that it's her boss calling. She answers, and is surprised and happy to hear the news on the other side. When she hangs up, Carlos asks her what that was about, and a dazed Gaby tells him she just got a huge promotion - she's the new head of VIP sales. Carlos tells her that's amazing, but Gabrielle appears to be shaky. He asks her what is wrong, and she says this is so big, and she's worried that she can't do it. Carlos comes up to her and asks if she doesn't know how smart and talented she is. "You deserve this." They embrace, happily, and then Gabrielle tells him he's right, she just has to learn how to be the boss, as she doesn't even know how to talk to employees. Carlos jokes that he thinks their gardener would agree, to which Gaby responds, "Oh, please. That Sad Sack was a moron.", and then leaves. At a local hospital, Julie Mayer is in for a check-up. Dr. Bailey, a handsome young obstetrician, asks her how she's feeling. Julie tells him she's been craving chocolate constantly, and asks if that's okay. The doctor tells her to be moderate, but adds that he's not worried, and that she looks great. Julie thanks him, as she hands her mother the purse, and Susan, picking up on something, tells Dr. Bailey that Julie will soon be getting her Ph.D., so she will be a doctor too. She then suggests that the two of them have lunch sometime and talk. Dr. Bailey gets a beep on his pager, and has to rush off, saying that that'd be nice, but he has to take this call, and he'll be right back. Once he's gone, a mad Julie turns to her mother and asks what she was doing, and Susan tells her he was flirting with her. Julie says he is her obstetrician, and Susan tells her he know she's fertile, and men like that. Julie begs her to stop, saying she doesn't need to be fixed up, and Susan tells her she's just worried about her, as she doesn't want her daughter to be lonely. Julie then says, spitefully so, that in three weeks she will have a permanent houseguest. Susan says she is talking about 'the other kind of lonely', and points out that even single mothers have needs. Julie tells her "Childbirth can't possibly be as painful than this conversation." Susan tells her she doesn't know how hard it'll be, as having a kid is exhausting, she'll have no time to exercise or eat right, but the good news is she doesn't have to let herself go, because she'll be there, taking of care the baby, so Julie will still be able to go to the gym, and Susan will be the one letting herself go, as she doesn't mind. As she says this, she takes the chocolate bar Julie's been eating from her hands. Julie says "Mom... I just felt the baby tap out 'Make her stop' in Morse code." Susan tells her it's hard to find a man when one's a single mom. She then heads for the door, and Julie reminds her that she was able to find Mike. Susan tells her she was very lucky, and Julie, smiling, agrees with her. Susan smiles back. Karen McCluskey is sitting in her wheelchair out on her front porch, oxygen tube in her nose, and Bree puts a blanket on her lap. Roy is sitting next to them, and Bree leans against the fence and comments that it's a beautiful day. Karen tells her that the nice thing about dying is that every day seems beautiful. Bree winces and Karen points out that she always does whenever she hears her saying something like that. Bree tells her she doesn't mean to, but this situation is hard for her. Roy says "For you? You wanna switch places with her?", referring to his wife, who chuckles and tells him to be nice. Bree then tells Karen she got the song she wanted for her funeral. Karen is grateful: the song is by Johnny Mathis. Karen tells her friend that she and her girlfriends taught each other to dance to the sound of "Wonderful! Wonderful!". Bree explains that she's only been able to find it on a CD, but Karen tells her it has to be on a 45 rpm, and she's gonna need it to play on a record player, just like she did when she was a kid. Bree nods affirmatively, though not convincingly, and Karen adds that she'll also need the record player. Bree points out that it's really hard to find those 45s; Karen gives her a look, and Bree adds that she's gonna keep searching nevertheless. Her cell phone rings and Bree picks it up: it's Trip. She doesn't seem too happy to talk to him. We hear her saying she's not interested. Karen and Roy listen quietly. Bree begs Trip to stop calling and hangs up. Karen asks her if that was her 'lawyer friend', to which Bree replies "Well, you're half right." "I thought you liked him.", says Karen, and Bree says that she did, more than she's liked anybody in a very long time, but then she realized that he just manipulates people so that he can get what he wants. She concludes by saying that she can't trust him. Bree then leaves and tells them she will check on them later. Once she's gone, Karen asks Roy to look up a phone number for her. He asks her what she's up to, as though he already kind of knows, and Karen tells her husband "I don't know. I thought it would be fun to screw with people's lives one last time before I check out." Roy smiles and she pats him and chuckles. Lynette and Katherine enter the former's house, and Lynette comments that it seems like Katherine is doing pretty good. Katherine says she didn't want to brag in front of the girls, but her company is 'worth a few bucks'. Lynette sarcastically says "That was you not bragging?", and Katherine's reply consists of taking out her company's last financial statement from her purse and handing it to Lynette, who takes a look and is blown away. Katherine lets out a high laugh, and says that she loves doing that. Lynette hands her the piece of paper back and tells her to have a seat. Katherine does, and explains that they are doing so well in fact that are planning to branch out worldwide, and she would like Lynette to head their U.S. division... in New York. Lynette, having taken two waters out of her fridge, asks why her, and Katherine tells her Lynette's the smartest businesswoman she knows, and when she heard Tom and her had split up, Katherine figured there was nothing tying her to Fairview anymore. Lynette starts saying, "Well, here's the thing...", and she can't finish her sentence because Tom comes rushing down the stairs, a shirt in his hands, talking about how there's only 45 minutes left to his job interview and he manages to lose a button. Tom is surprised to find Katherine in the kitchen, and Lynette tells her friend "That's the thing.", as she points at Tom. Katherine seems almost as surprised to see Tom there as he is to see her, and he greets her with a kiss and asks what brought her back to the States. Katherine tells him she came for his wife, to offer her a job in New York. Tom is surprised and Lynette tells him she is obviously not taking it, and then she turns to Katherine and tells her they just got back together, and she couldn't be happier. The Scavos kiss, and Tom apologizes to Katherine in their behalf, saying he knows how hard it is to lose Lynette, adding that it is very sweet to get her back. Katherine doesn't seem too pleased. Lynette tells Tom to leave the shirt with her and she'll fix it. He thanks her and leaves, and Katherine gets up to leave as well. She tells Lynette that she'll be in town for three days, in case she wants to keep talking about it, and Lynette tells her she feels pretty comfortable with her decision. Katherine says "Okay, but the Lynette that I knew was never happy with a life of... sewing buttons.", she says, snidely, before she goes. This said, Lynette can't help but to be left thinking about it, as she gazes at the shirt. 'Act II' That night, over at the Solis house, the dinner table is all set and prim, when Gabrielle finally comes home from work; she apologizes to her husband for being late and states that she's starving. She then asks what they're having, and Carlos tells her, with an attitude, that he had a lovely steak, and about an hour later he had her steak, so she'll be having cereal. Gaby tells him he knows how it is, the first day of a new job was crazy. Carlos says "And what? You lost your phone?", to which Gabrielle replies, with some faked introspection, that she's a terrible person, but then considers that maybe he'll forgive her when he sees what she's brought him: cue the opening of a case containing a beautiful new wristwatch. Carlos is positively thrilled, and puts it on; he then starts commending the watch... until he realizes what is happening. Gaby is making a move to keep him from being upset over her tardiness... a move he claims to have previously coined. Gabrielle tells him she doesn't know what he's talking about, and Carlos reminds her that it's what he used to do, he'd buy her jewelry to compensate for being a lowsy husband. Gabrielle says, "And it worked beautifully. So shut up and enjoy." Carlos says he can't believe she's trying to buy him off with a watch, and Gaby comments that when he shakes his wrist, the diamonds really catch the light. Carlos is flabbergasted because she is actually quoting him. Gabrielle tells him everyone has a price, so she asks for his, and he tells her that the price of his forgiveness is her paying attention to him, being more present and having more respect for his feelings and needs. Gabrielle, with bad timing, tells him, jokingly, "You want a new car." Carlos tells her he's going to bed, and Gabrielle tells him to come back because he's sexy when he's angry. Carlos says "Yep. That's mine too.", before he heads up the stairs. Lynette is seen shopping at a local supermarket, and she runs into Natalie Klein, her former colleague, who is surprised to see her. Natalie says "Oh, my God, how long has it been?!", and Lynette says it's been a long time, and asks how she's doing. Natalie says she's great, and asks how Lynette is; she heard about her and Tom. Lynette tells her old friend they went through a rough patch, but they've gotten back together now and things are better than ever. Natalie comments that that's a relief. She adds that she kept thinking that Lynette had sacrificed her whole career for Tom and that didn't even work out. Lynette tells her, "Just to be clear, I didn't sacrifice my career for anyone.", with a bit of an attitude. Natalie says she didn't mean anything by it, she's actually jealous of her. Natalie goes on to say that her company has branches in fifteen cities around the world, so she lives out of a suitcase. But there must be days in which Lynette doesn't even leave the house. "Oh, the simple life." After a brief moment of silence and a fake, polite smile, Lynette blurts out that she got a job offer the day before, from a big European food company that's taking their brand to the States, and they want her to run it. Natalie comments that that's impressive, and asks when she starts. Lynette tells her it's in New York, so it's a lot to consider... "And that is the difference between me and you.", Natalie says, "I'd grab an opportunity like that in a second. But not you." - she says the last part with some patronizing tone and smile on her face. She adds that deep down Lynette is just a wife and a mommy. She gives her the congrats anyway and heads off, and Lynette tells her "See ya." Immediately afterwards, she calls Katherine over the phone and leaves her a message telling her to call back, as they have to talk. Gabrielle walks out of her house, dressed for work, as Carlos reads the morning paper out on the front porch. She tells him she has a long day ahead of him, and e-mails have been coming in since 7 a.m. Carlos tells her their new gardener started that day, and Gaby asks him to cover that for her, as she doesn't have time to talk to the help. He says it'd be his pleasure and Gaby walks out, checking her phone... until her peripheral vision catches something rather surprising, that makes her stop cold on her track. The new gardener is female, young, curvy and voluptuous. She introduces herself as Carmen ("Hola. I'm Carmen."), and the only response Gaby can give her is a dismissive and reprehensive "Uh uh." She heads back up the steps to confront her husband, asking him "What the hell is that?!", to which Carlos simply replies it's their new gardener... who's gonna take care of everything around there that's been neglected. Gaby, angry with him, says "Oh, you think that's funny?". Carlos says he's just making a point, and Gaby tells him he crossed the line, twice, and then she storms off; Carlos tries to chase after her, but she gets into her car and really hits the pedal as she drives away. Carlos then catches the new gardener giving him a flirty look and bouncing her hips a little, which throws him off a bit, and he heads back inside the house. 'Act III' It's a lovely day on Wisteria Lane, and a limousine is seen parked outside of Renee Perry's house, with its driver waiting outside of it. The door to the pink house is opened, and Renee parades out of it, being escorted by two of her bridesmaids, Susan and Gabrielle, who are both wearing purple, and Julie Mayer, in a coral pink dress. Gabrielle is busy carrying the tail of the dress and bringing it up, so it doesn't contact the ground. Renee tells them "Watch the dirt. And watch the grass. Focus, ladies! This dress costs more than your houses... put together!" Gabrielle comments that she knows this is Renee's day, but it's only 10 a.m. and she's already being a 'huge pain in the ass'. Renee tells her that she's running late then, because she should had already been like that by 9. The driver of the limousine smiles as he sees the not-so-blushing bride making her way to the ride, but Renee addresses him as the one with 'the stupid hat' and orders him to open the door. He obliges. Roy opens the door of his house to find Bree standing at the entrance, also dressed in purple; he asks her where she's going all dolled up, and she tells him she's going to Renee's wedding, but she wanted to check on Karen before she left. Roy tells Bree she's sleeping, and comments that he doesn't think it'll be long now. Bree is disheartened by this and tells Roy that she is so sorry, and asks if he'd like her to stay. Roy denies this, telling her this is his and Karen's time together, and they'll be fine. Bree smiles and notices something on a decorative table nearby. She is relieved to see that he found the record Karen wanted (it's sitting on top of a case containing its player), and Roy reveals that he didn't find it, 'that lawyer guy' did. Bree asks if he means Trip, and Roy explains that Karen told Trip she really wanted it, and that he must have gone to twenty different record stores. Bree smiles and says that that's lovely; Roy tells her she should had the seen the smile on Karen's face when he brought it in. "He's... a good guy.", the elderly man tells her. This leaves Bree to thinking. As they are driven to the wedding in a limousine, the bride is fully stretched out on the backseat, with her legs over Julie's lap. Susan asks Renee if she needs to do this, to which the bride asks if Susan wants her to crease. Renee's cell phone rings and she picks it up; it's Ben, and he's apparently not too happy with his fiancée's delay. She tells him not to raise his voice to her, because hair and makeup took forever, and they had to wait twenty minutes for Susan. Susan says, indignated, "I was totally on time." Renee presses her cell phone against her body to keep Ben from hearing this, and tells her he doesn't need to know that. She then brings it up to her ear again and tells him they're on their way. She then starts promising that they'll be there no later than... and then interrupts herself by falsely claiming that they are going through a tunnel, and hangs up. Gaby asks how late they are, and Renee says "I should have been cutting the cake by NOW!"; this prompts Gaby to tell Susan this isn't a good day to hand Renee a knife (Susan agrees). Julie becomes agitated, and her mother notices this and asks if she's okay. The young woman says "Oh, my God" and pushes Renee's legs off of her, alarming the women, and Susan asks what is wrong. "I think my water just broke." The women take one look at the floor of the car, gasp and then let out a collective scream. Immediately afterwards, Gabrielle is seen throwing paper towels at them, while Susan instructs Julie through the breathing exercises, and a frantic Renee whines a lot, telling Julie "How could you do this to me?". Susan tries to focus on the cheery fact that her daughter is in labor, but Renee scolds Julie for doing that right there and then when she had nine months to do it. Julie is sincerely sorry for the situation, and then she shrieks, and Susan says it's gonna be okay, but Renee points out that her dress is ruined. Gabrielle claims to have an idea and thus she turns to the driver and tells him to swing by ''Cumberly's. He nods affirmatively and Gaby turns to the girls and tells them her store has an amazing bridal department. Susan asks if she's insane, considering that her daughter is about to give birth, and demands that the driver take them to the hospital. Renee dismisses this, seeing as how Julie only just now started labor, and then tells the young woman to keep her legs together. Susan can't believe this, and Gabrielle tries to downplay the situation by saying that they're just gonna run in and grab a dress. Renee adds that she needs shoes too, despite Gabrielle's reprehension of this: "You need shoes too?"; "Thanks to Old Faithful here." The confused driver asks to be clarified on where to go, to no avail, seeing as how he gets both responses (Cumberly's and the hospital) at the same time. Julie tells the driver they can go to Cumberly's. Susan reprehends her, but Julie tells her the contractions just started and so they have time... and then she shrieks again. Renee is angry with this and asks if she has to keep doing that, an attitude that Susan frowns upon. They finally make it to Cumberly's, and Gabrielle and Renee rush into the bridal department, with Gaby telling the bride that the size 6 outfits are in a determined area. Renee is somewhat offended by this remark, but Gaby tells her not to lie. They start sorting through the outfits and Renee is disgusted by all of them, but she then notices a beautiful wedding dress being examined by a mother and her young bride-to-be daughter. Renee points out that she loves the dress and tries to reach for it, but the mother pulls it out of her reach. Renee asks when the young woman's wedding is, and is told it's three months away. Renee says hers is in five minutes, yanks the dress from the woman's hands, turns her back to her and tells her to unzip the dress she's wearing. Both the mother and her daughter are shocked at the nerve of the bride in front of them. Gabrielle notices a male employee entering the department - looking rather gloomy, one might add - and approaches him, all peppy, telling him she's Gabrielle Solis, head of VIP sales at the store, and he informs her that he's Kent, a minimum-wage worker stuck there on a Saturday. He asks her, rather lifeless, if he can help her with something; Gaby says she needs to borrow a bridal gown, for the afternoon. He says they don't lend bridal dresses, and Gaby, trying to charm him, walks with him and says she knows it's not policy, but asks if he can't do a favor for a fellow worker. He turns to her and claims to have never heard of her; he then asks her if she has her employeed ID card, to which Gaby responds that she doesn't because she's not one of those 'nerds' who carries an ID card on... she interrupts herself when she notices he himself is carrying an ID card, and she reaches for it and calls the lanyard 'handsome'. He snaps the card off of her hands and asks, to make clear, if she wants to take a $6'000 dress. She says it's $5'000 with her employee discount, and chuckles. He tells her to go away and walks off himself. Gaby is disappointed. Inside the back of the limousine, outside of the store, Susan is helping her daughter through the contractions, and it appears as though the latest one was a big one. They become impatient as Julie announces that they seem to be coming a lot faster. Susan sighs, and then has an idea: she addresses, through the window, the limo driver, who's standing outside the vehicle, and asks him to go inside the store and find out what's keeping the ladies, as things seem to be speeding up a bit back there. He obliges, and Susan keeps smiling as she briefly watches him go. Once he's gone, she rushes to the front of the back car, crawling through the gifts on the side seats, and Julie asks her what she's doing, to which Susan replies that Julie is not having her granddaughter in the backseat of a limousine. Susan squeezes through the divisory window and manages to sit down in the driver's seat. She tells her child to keep breathing and then starts the engine and speeds off. Inside the bridal department, Gabrielle is growing concerned by the minute as she notices the aforementioned mother and daughter apparently complaining to Kent about how Renee stole the dress they were admiring. The latter comes out of the dressing room, all set in the wedding gown she stole, and asks Gaby if they're all set. Gaby confirms this, reminding her that she's a big shot at the store, but there is, however, one tiny hiccup. They hear Kent loudly asking them where they're going with that dress, and Gaby says to her friend, "And now we run.", and pushes her by the arm and they storm off, with a shocked Kent looking on. In the downstairs floor, they rush through the entrance lobby as the driver of the limousine is seen checking out the store map, presumably looking for the bridal department. They walk past him, both parts missing each other. Outside of the store, the ladies are shocked to see that their ride is gone. The store alarm is set off, and Gaby says "We're running again." and they rush off. 'Act IV' We are shown the Valet Parking sign on the outside of the local hotel where Renee and Ben's wedding reception is being held. Renee and bridesmaid Gabrielle, looking all frazzled, finally arrive to the area, and a young valet approaches them and asks if they don't have a car. An angrily frustrated Renee tells him "Does it look like we have a car, huh?", and then she grabs him by his coat and shouts in his face "Does it?". The scared valet nods negatively, and Gabrielle breaks them off, telling the bride-to-be that she is late for her own wedding, so she should maybe kill that guy later. As they make their way to the entrance, Ben comes out and Renee, fearing his disapproval, albeit only to some extent, tells him not to say a word, because he has no idea what she had to go through to get there. "So if you even give me one syllable of grief... I will kick your sorry ass all the way back to Australia!" This said, Ben walks over to her and tells her... "I've never seen anyone look so beautiful." This showing of love leads Renee to break down and start crying as he holds her in his arms and suggests that they go and get started on their wedded bliss. Gaby follows after them. Sometime later, during the reception, Lynette is seen talking on the phone, telling her friend Katherine that she is indeed excited over their endeavor, but she needs to tell her husband Tom first. Tom shows up and she asks Katherine to give her to the end of the day, and apparently the answer is 'yes'; Lynette thanks her and hangs up. Tom asks what she needs to talk to him about, and they greet and kiss, and are served some drinks. They pick them up and Lynette tells him Katherine keeps pushing her about the job, and Tom says he thought Lynette had told her 'no', and she says she did, but that once Katherine started talking about compensation packages... Tom stops her mid-sentence, because she's apparently negotiating a salary, which surprises him, and reminds her that they just got back together, then asking her what she's doing. Lynette tells him this could be the last time an opportunity like this comes along for her, and she fears that if she doesn't take it... Tom finishes the sentence for her, saying "...You won't be happy." Lynette hesitantly agrees that this could turn out to be the case, and he seems to be relatively disheartened and starts walking off. Lynette follows after him, and he turns to her and says "Lynette... I would do anything, I would go anywhere in the world if I believed it would finally make you happy. But for as long as I have known you, you always thought you needed something else to make you complete. And I'm starting to realize... nothing ever will." Lynette is devastatingly silent through all of this, and Tom walks away again, and she is left there standing and thinking about the truthful, yet painful words she heard. Trip Weston shows up at the wedding and is stopped at the entrance to the reception area by the sight of Bree, who is standing by the wedding cake and notices him as well. Trip proceeds to sign the attendance list on the gift table, and Bree heads on over to the lawyer and greets him, and is told by Trip that he was invited by Ben, so if she wants to slug someone, she should slug the groom. Bree smiles and says she's glad to see him. "I wanted to thank you for what you did for Mrs. McCluskey, that was very kind." Trip replies that "She's an awesome lady." and adds that Karen once helped out a client of his - clearly referring to Bree. The bridesmaid tells him that's all she wanted to say, and then tells him to enjoy the reception. He asks if she can't think of anything else to say to him, and she asks "Like what?". He suggests something along the lines of "Oh, hey, Trip, maybe you are a good guy. I should give you another chance." Bree asks if that is why he found the old record for Mrs. McCluskey, to impress her, and Trip, slightly offended, asks her if she really thinks that. He gets straight to the point as he tells her he knows he wants to be with Bree, but if she doesn't think she can ever trust him again, then he's not gonna beg. He passes by her and she turns to him and says "Why?"... He repeats her question, and she walks up to him and says "Yes... why do you wanna be with me? You are my lawyer. You know all the ugliest details of my life, my lying, my drinking, my promiscuity. I was actually relieved when you put Gaby on the witness stand because it explained why you kissed me. It was a manipulation, I got it. But to keep saying you want me when you know how... horribly flawed I am. I don't trust you because it just doesn't make sense." Trip, who had been affected by her thinking that he'd manipulated her, pulls her to the side, and suggests that he explain it. This said, he moves in to kiss her, and they do so, passionately, once more. When done, he asks her if that cleared it up for her, and she says "Almost", clinging for more, and he tells her that all the ugly details she talked about, they constitute proof that she is human, and he doesn't want to love an ideal, he wants to love a real person. Bree, moved, asks him what happens now. Trip, smiling, tells her they're gonna walk out into the dancefloor and show her friends how it's really done. He adds that hopefully by then he'll work up the courage to ask her out on a date again, and rambles on that even as he says that he is still not sure of what she is going to say, and Bree interrupts his babbling with another kiss, and asks if that cleared it up for him. As the happy newly-formed couple kiss, we're treated to a view of the lovely biracial couple decorating the top of the wedding cake - the "perfect couple". 'Act V' 'Act VI' Notes *The title of this episode comes from a song of the same name taken from the Stephen Sondheim musical, Sunday in the Park with George. The song "describes detail by detail the exhilarating, frustrating, fulfilling and unsatisfying business of creating a piece of art", theater critic Ben Bratley once wrote. Episode title revealed *This episode featured cameo appearances in the ending segment by several actors whose characters died earlier in the show, including season regulars Brenda Strong (Mary Alice Young), James Denton (Mike Delfino), Kathryn Joosten (Karen McCluskey) and Jonathan Cake (Chuck Vance) (the latter uncredited), and mostly uncredited appearances from former series regulars Roger Bart (George Williams), Richard Burgi (Karl Mayer) and Steven Culp (Rex Van de Kamp), recurring guest stars Justine Bateman (Ellie Leonard), Emily Bergl (Beth Young), Maria Cominis (Mona Clarke), Christine Estabrook (Martha Huber) (featured earlier in the episode; credited), Valerie Mahaffey (Alma Hodge), Lupe Ontiveros (Juanita "Mama" Solis) and Kiersten Warren (Nora Huntington), and guest stars Ellen Geer (Lillian Simms) and David Starzyk (Bradley Scott). 'Trivia' *This episode features a total of 19 out of the series' 29 "starring" actors, the most out of any episode of the show. *Show creator Marc Cherry had the idea for the final scene featuring the ghosts of Wisteria Lane since Season 1, and "kept it in his back pocket".Ghost scene details. *Showrunners and executive producers Marc Cherry and Bob Daily made a silent cameo in the episode as movers, during the last act. *Mary Alice Young committed suicide on a Thursday and Susan moved away also on a Thursday. *When we are first introduced to the ladies of Wisteria Lane, Gabby is the only one not to have any children, while she later does become a parent, at the end of the series she is the only one not to have any grandchildren. *The role of Carmen was portrayed (in an uncredited cameo appearance) by Roselyn Sánchez, who originally auditioned for the part of Gabrielle Solis, is one of Eva Longoria's close personal friends, and played one of the lead roles in Marc Cherry's pilot for Devious Maids, in which her character's name was also Carmen. *Kathryn Joosten died of lung cancer on June 2, 2012, less than three weeks after the finale, in which her character, Karen McCluskey, also dies of cancer. 'Production' This episode was written by series creator and executive producer Marc Cherry (who makes a cameo appearance in it), marking his 18th writing credit with the series, and directed by executive producer and long-time regular director David Grossman, marking his 52nd directing credit. The table read for this episode was held on April 16, 2012, as announced by Marcia Cross (Bree Van de Kamp) the day before. Marcia's tweet about the table read (retrieved on April 16, 2012) According to actress Marcia Cross (Bree Van de Kamp), the first day of shooting for the series finale was be April 17, 2012. Marcia C. tweet about first day of shooting According to actress Vanessa Williams (Renee Perry), the final day of shooting for the series finale was be April 25, 2012. Vanessa W. tweet about final day of shooting Both Teri Hatcher (Susan Delfino) and Andrea Bowen (Julie Mayer) confirmed that their the last day of filming scenes together would be Tuesday, April 24th 2012. http://www.etonline.com/news/121047_Wisteria_Lane_s_Goodbye_Block_Party/ Series creator and executive producer Marc Cherry planned on making a cameo appearance in the series finale, mirroring notable film director Alfred Hitchcock. [http://www.tvguide.com/News/Desperate-Housewives-Marc-Cherry-1041419.aspx "(...) Marc Cherry Teases a Special Cameo" (TV Guide article, Jan 10, 2012)][http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVmwCNM-VtE Ask Desperate Housewives Part 2: Marc Cherry & Kevin Rahm] He did, portraying the role of one of Susan's movers, the other mover being played by latest showrunner Bob Daily. Although the crew tried their best to get everyone to return for the final ghost scene, not everyone could make it, due to previous engagements, as revealed by executive producer, Sabrina Wind. Sabrina Wind Twitter Edie Britt's ghost was also absent because of the lawsuit between Nicollette Sheridan and the show's creator Nicollette Sheridan return debate, despite Cherry's wishes to have Sheridan back for the series finale "to pay homage to everyone who has been on the show". Marc Cherry & Paul Lee Interview Table Read (Series Finale).png tournage2.png Eva & Vanessa Finale.png Wrap.png evalongoria120416nt.png Emily Bergl & Brenda Strong.png 'Reception' 'Ratings' "Finishing the Hat" was watched by an approximated 11.12 million American viewers, thus earning a 3.2 rating in the show's key demographic (ages 18-49) TV by the Numbers ratings, making it the most watched show of the night. Additionally, ABC reported that the finale gained an additional 2.1 million viewers (rising to a total of 13.2 million viewers) due to DVR recordings.TV by the Numbers DVR Recordings With this episode, the ratings improved by 9% in viewers from the previous season finale, being the first time ever the show improved in ratings in the season finale. It should also be noted that it gave the show its highest viewership since since the series' 150th episode, "Searching". 'Critical' Critical reaction to the finale was generally positive. Christina Tran, of TV Fanatic, concluded that "while this final season has had its fair share of ups and downs, I thought that Marc Cherry and company gave us a very satisfying ending. I wasn’t left needing more, but instead, only realizing how much I would truly miss Desperate Housewives" and continued to praise the show's iconic status in the television landscape saying, "No other show compares and it’s hard to believe that there will ever be one that is able to do what the Wisteria women did by making the suburbia life seem so flawlessly unforgettable, sexy, hilarious, suspenseful and even murderous." TV Fanatic review Meanwhile, Daniel Sperling, of Digital Spy, had mixed views of the episode. He was critical of the ending saying, "It would have been much preferable to have Desperate Housewives end on the idea that friendship is able to endure everything. I'd have rather seen Susan, Bree, Gabby and Lynette all have unhappy endings but stay unified." Digital Spy review The Radio Times ultimately called it "just a neatly written finale that will leave you in a sodden heap." Radio Times review Fans of the series reacted overwhelmingly positive to the episode. One fan said "As far as final episodes go, this one was satisfying" while another wrote, "The Perfect Ending." TV.com fan reviews However, Nicollette Sheridan's absence, due to her off-screen legal battle with Marc Cherry, was noted and complained about by both fans and critics. 'Bloopers and Continuity Errors' *There are several inconsistencies in the flashback where the Young family move to Wisteria Lane compared to the flashback presented in "One Wonderful Day": **The front of their house should be yellow, not green. **Mary Alice is depicted with shorter hair and different clothing. **The Youngs all arrived together - not separated. *When the camera moves down in the beginning of Act I to feature the four main ladies talking, it is shaky at the start. *During Renee and Ben's wedding party, when collecting his drink, Tom accidentally knocks his arm into a nearby shrub, causing it to shake. Episode connections 'Episode references' *Lynette bumps into Natalie Klein at the grocery store. ("Pilot") *Mary Alice Young committed suicide on a Thursday and Susan moves away from the lane on a Thursday also. ("Pilot") 'Episode allusions' *There are several allusions to the first season: **Susan is first introduced as a single woman with a daughter and is last seen as a single woman with a son, a daughter, and a granddaughter. She starts out the series not married and ended the series not married. **Lynette starts the series married to Tom and ends the series married to Tom; she is also first shown yelling at her children and is last seen yelling at her grandchildren. **Bree was introduced to the audience as a conservative woman and the audience says farewell to her as a conservative woman again. **Gabrielle and Carlos were introduced amidst a quarrel and they are shown quarreling "happily ever after." *There are a few similarities between Susan's arrival on the lane ("Remember, Part 1") and Jennifer's arrival: **They move into the same house, 4353 Wisteria Lane. **They move in first, without their husbands. **They move in with the same moving van, from Howell's Rent-A-Truck. **Their arrivals are both shown in a season finale. *Gabrielle and Carlos share a story in which the former tries to compensate for her lack of availability towards the latter via expensive gifts, when in early season 1 Carlos used to do the same for his wife. ("Ah, But Underneath") The Solises also argue over their new gardener, who serves as a reference to Gabrielle's former lover, her young gardener John Rowland. ("Pilot") *Jennifer keeps her mysterious secret in a small box, similar to how Mary Alice and Paul Young kept their secret in a toy chest. ("One Wonderful Day") *Katherine Mayfair returns to Wisteria Lane in the same way that she arrives in the fourth season premiere - with a close-up of her high heeled shoes. ("Now You Know") *The order the characters are introduced in the pilot episode (Lynette, Gabrielle, Bree and then Susan) is reflected in the final scene - the characters' futures and/or farewells are revealed in the same order. ("Pilot") *The showing of the decorative couple on top of the wedding cake at the end of the scene in which Bree and Trip get reunited might constitute a reference to the couple in Bree and Orson's wedding cake, which Mary Alice referred to as the 'perfect couple'. ("It Takes Two") Gallery Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the episode. Promo 823 01.png Promo 823 02.png Promo 823 03.png Promo 823 04.png Promo 823 05.png Promo 823 06.png Promo 823 07.png Promo 823 08.png Promo 823 09.png Promo 823 10.png Promo 823 11.png Promo 823 12.png Promo 823 13.png Promo 823 14.png Promo 823 15.png Promo 823 16.png Promo 823 17.png Promo 823 18.png Promo 823 19.png Promo 823 20.png Promo 823 21.png Promo 823 22.png Promo 823 23.png Promo 823 24.png References External links *Advanced series finale press release *Press release *Promotional trailer Category:Season 8 Category:Episodes Category:Season finale Category:Flashback episodes